Terry, Glenbard North collect win over Wheaton North
The storied wrestling program at Glenbard North has held the bar high for a number of years, and it was in evidence again Thursday night in Carol Stream.
The Panthers knocked off defending DuPage Valley Conference champion Wheaton North 30-21 after jumping out to a 20-0 lead through six bouts. But coach Mark Hahn and star 220-pounder Quintin Terry wanted to talk mostly about lost points after the big win.
"I feel that we could have scored some (more) bonus points," said Hahn, whose team improved to 10-1 on the year and 4-0 in the DVC. "There were some nice tight matches and we knew it was going to be tight.
"We had guys wrestle well, but we didn't score bonus points. I'm not sure they believed that Wheaton North was going to give them as much of a match as they did."
The match started at 138 pounds, and Juan Rivera jump-started things for Glenbard North with a 10-1 major decision over Sam Chesney. Five victories later - including an overtime win by Luke Kohout at 152 - and it was a 20-0 lead before Falcons 195-pounder Antwon Tolbert edged Mershad Bashang 6-4 with a takedown in overtime to get Wheaton North on the scoreboard.
Terry then looked sharp in his 14-3 major decision over DeQuan Ramsey at 220 pounds, recording five takedowns and three back points. But like his coach, he wasn't totally satisfied.
"I feel like I went out there and wrestled how I'm supposed to wrestle. Obviously, we were looking for bonus points ... I got a major but I wanted to put a lot of points on the board," said Terry, a state qualifier last year who is now 13-3 this season. "I feel like I should have worked a little harder for the bonus points."
The Falcons made a nice run late to make the final score look more respectable after the sluggish start. Brice Balosky at 113 and Jaime Suarez at 126 recorded pins during Wheaton North's late charge.
"We just really had to win those close matches," said Suarez, now 11-2. "We need to work on that in the room. Work on our conditioning and our mental toughness; not let us get bullied by how physical they are."
Falcons coach Travis Cherry expected a tough battle at Glenbard North and despite the setback was quick to point out a number of positives on the night.
"Going into this dual I knew this was going to be a mental matchup," said Cherry, whose squad is now 5-3, 2-1. "Thank God it's December. It's not February or January. It's not about wins and losses right now. It's about cleaning up technique, staying in good position, and staying in fights.
"I think we kind of learned who we were and who we need to be, but we had some kids wrestle well. Give credit to Hahn and his program. They did a good job tonight."